German keyboardist Ines has assembled an impressive group of session players for this surprisingly good debut. The music straddles the lines of old and neo-progressive, accessible yet powerful, with flashes of metallic brilliance, and while Ines wrote nearly all of music here, one wouldn't know this was an album by a keyboardist — the keys don't dominate, but instead tie all the other instruments and vocals together in the mix. There are many familiar names here: Kikko Grosso (vocal), Massimo Micheletto (guitar), and Chris Bianchi d'Espinosa (bass), all from Asgard. Klaus Mayer of Neuschwanstein plays guitar on a few tracks, and Harald Bareth of Anyone's Daughter sings on several cuts, adding a warm familiarity to much of the material. In addition, drums are provided by Thomas Schauffler, Ulli Ulbricht plays bass on several tunes, and Hansi Fuchs (ex-Mountain Ash?) adds more guitars, wrote all the lyrics, and produces. Each of these folks bring a little of their respective bands to the project. Ines plays keyboards throughout, and in fact hers is the only name here that completely eludes any name recognition. Her influences clearly stem from the progressive mainstream — Wakeman, Orford, Banks, and others; she solos with fire and determination, and a fresh spark of originality permeates her compositions — which while accessible — even approaching mainstream on a couple tunes, tend to steer clear of all your typical trite neo-progressivisms. Standout tunes include the powerful "Overture," "Water," and the more mainstream "Innocent Girl," both featuring Bareth's trademark vocals, "Union" which opens with a nice acoustic solo by Micheletto, a neo-metal-tinged "Wasteland," and "Earth Sun and Moon," which seems to sum up all of the best elements of the album in a single track. In summary, an outstanding debut, and one I can recommend highly.

Latest news

2017-07-27Yestival Dates Beef up the Beat –
Word reaches us that Dylan Howe (son of guitarist Steve Howe) will be joining Yes on their "Yestival" tour, drumming alongside longtime band member Alan White. »
Read more

2017-05-19First ProgStock Festival Set for October –
October 2017 will see the inaugural edition of a festival called ProgStock in Rahway, New Jersey at the Union County Performing Arts Center. With a definite slant towards neo-progressive music, the event is sure to please many fans with the inclusion of such artists as Echolyn, Glass Hammer, and Aisles. The festival will take place October 13-15. »
Read more

2017-05-05Clive Brooks RIP –
Word reaches us today of another sad passing in the music world. Drummer Clive Brooks, best known as a member of such Canterbury bands as Egg, Uriel / Arzachel, and Groundhogs, has died at the age of 67. Details are sketchy at this point. The news was reported on Nick Mason's Facebook page — Brooks was Mason's drum tech. »
Read more

2017-05-02Col. Bruce Hampton RIP –
The phrase "He died doing what he loved" is almost a cliche, but in the case of Col. Bruce Hampton, it couldn't be more true. Hampton, who was born Gustav Berglund III, collapsed on stage at his own 70th birthday celebration and later passed away. The event took place at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. »
Read more

2017-04-16ProgDay 2017 Announces First Bands –
Flor de Loto, Sonar, and Infinien are the first three performers to be announced for the 2017 edition of the long-running ProgDay Festival. The 23rd ProgDay takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, at Storybook Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. »
Read more

Previously in Exposé...

The New St. George - High Tea –
The New St. George is a five-piece folk rock outfit from the Washington, DC area who sport a strong British/Celtic personality and two excellent vocalists. Their music may remind of the likes of...
(1995) »
Read more